Hand dispenser for dry fluent material



Dec. 4, 1956 P. c. BYE

I HAND DISPENSER FOR DRY FLUENT MATERIAL Filed Oct. 25, 1954 0 INVENTOR. a/9, 0. M

ATTORNE).

2,772,815 h a v H DISPENSER FGR DRY FLUENT MATERIAL Paul Clark Bye, Pasadena, (Ialif.

Application October 25, 1954, Serial No. 464,216

4 Claims. (Cl. 222-185) This invention is directed particularly to improvements in dispensing devices for granular or powdered material and pertains particularly to a device of this character designed for use in the garden.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide, in the manner hereinafter set forth, a dispensing device adapted to be conveniently moved from place to place in a garden, for depositing predetermined amounts of fertilizer, insecticide or other desired material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispenser of the character stated which is trigger operated for eifecting the actuation of a rotary measuring device, by means of which a predetermined quantity of material is discharged with each actuation of the trigger.

A further and more specific object of the invention is V to provide, in the manner hereinafter setforth, a dispensing device designed to be carried conveniently by, a gardener and comprising an elongate body or staff on which is mounted a hopper or receptacle in which the granular or powder material is carried, the lower part of such hopper being provided with a rotatably mounted paddle wheel which closes the outlet and which .upon step by step rotation delivers downwardly predetermined quantities of the material which is carried around in the space between the adjacent blades of thewheel, such delivery being effected .by the actuation. of a reciprocable rod carrying a trigger which latter element engages the paddle wheel toturn the same one step with each reciprocation of the rod.

The invention will be best understood fro r'n a 'consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described since obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a view illustrating the manner of using the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the dispensing device.

Figure 3 is a view in front elevation of the same.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure 3 and upon an enlarged scale.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 66 of Figure 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing the numeral 19 generally designates the material receptacle or hopper supporting body which is here shown as being in the form of an elongate body or standard which is vertically disposed with the lower end resting upon the ground, when the device is in use. Such standard is shown as being of greater width than thickness whereby there are provided suitable faces upon which the several parts of the mechanism are mounted.

The top end of the standard carries a convenient handle or hand grip 12 and adjacent to the lower or bottom end the standard has secured thereto upon the opposite side from the handle 12, the vertically disposed elongate hopper 14 which comprises the upper section 16' which is tapered downwardly to a reduced throat portion 18. The forward'and back walls 20 and 22 of the hopper body diverge below the throat portion 18 for a part of their length and then converge as most clearly shown in Figure 4, while the side walls 24- are straight or substantially parallel to the lower ends thereof, thus forming the paddle wheel chamber 26 which opens downwardly through the outlet or mouth 28 of the dispenser.

Extending transversely through the chamber 26 and mounted upon the opposite side walls 24, is a shaft 30, upon which is rotatably mounted the dispensing paddle Wheel which is generallydesignated 32 and is here shown as comprising four radial blades 34 although the wheel may be provided with any suitable or desired number of blades.

"The back wall 22 is provided with the central longitudinal slot 36 through the major portion of the vertical extent of. the chamber 20, whichslot opens through the lower edge of thewall as shown in Figure 4.

Opposite to this slot 36 the lower part of the standard 10 has a longitudinal slot 38 which extends downwardly a substantial distance below the level of the outlet or mouth 28 of the hopper.

. To the lower end portion of the wall 22 of the hopper there is fixed asubstantially U-shaped guide or yoke 40 which has the space between the vertical side portions :2 coinciding with the slot 36, the cross portion 44 of the U lying below the lower end of the slot 36, for the purpose about to be described.

Disposed along the face of the standard 10 beneath the handle 12 and upon the side opposite from the hopper or receptacle 14, is an actuating rod 46. This rod is maintained in position for sliding movement lengthwise of the standard, by suitable guides or eyes 48 secured to the standard and at its upper end the rod is formed to providethe finger eye or ring 50. At the lower end of the rod, there is fixed across the upper end of ,the slot 38, a guide strap 51 and slidably disposed through this strap is the vertical end portion 52 of an upright L-shaped foot member which is generally designated 53 and which, in addition to the upright part or arm 52 includes the short right angularly directed arm 54 which extends through the slot 38 toward the lower end of the yoke 44 Carried by and extending downwardly from the underside of the arm 54 are the two elongate flanges 56 between the forward ends of which is secured the transverse pin 58. This pin 58 carries for vertical rocking movement, the forwardly and upwardly curving trigger linger ti which extends through the yoke 4t? and lies at its free end beneath the end of a blade 34 of the paddle wheel.

Extending rearwardly from the trigger finger is an extension 61 which constitutes a balance or counterweight which maintains the trigger finger in substantially horizontal position or returns it to such position when the free end of the trigger finger is swung upwardly and released.

Connecting the eye or ring 5t) with the standard, as at 62, is a spring 63 which constantly tends to pull the rod 46 downwardly so as to maintain the foot 53 in the lowermost position on the standard.

Downward movement of the foot member 53 is controlled by a stop plate 64 which is secured to the top end of the arm 52 and engages the top of the guide strap 51.

It is thought that, from the foregoing, it will be readily apparent that in using the present device when the hopper is filled with a suitable granular material such as that indicated at 66, which may be in the form of fertilizer, an insecticide or the like, the paddle wheel 32 will limit the downward movement of the material and when the standard is rested upon the ground and the operator pulls up on the rod 46, the trigger finger 60 will be raised in the yoke and in the slot 36 to engage the underedge of a paddle or blade 34 and turn the paddle wheel by pulling up on the engaged blade. Thus the upwardly directed portion of the paddle wheel which is filled with the granular material will be turned to carry a quantity of the material around into the front side of the chamber 26.

Upon release of the rod 46 the spring 63 will force the rod downwardly and the trigger finger will be swung upwardly so as to ride past the underlying wheel blade whereupon by repeating the upward movement of the trigger finger the wheel will again be given a quarter turn and the material entrapped between the blades and held in the forward part of the chamber 46 will then be discharged downwardly through the mouth 28.

While the blades have been illustrated in Figure 4 as being spaced from the walls and 22 it is to be understood that in practice this spacing will be so slight as to preclude the possibility of the granular material escaping from the hopper.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that there is provided by the present invention a novel dispenser for powdered material, which can be conveniently carried from place to place in the garden and by means of which quantities of fertilizer or insecticide may be deposited in selected and restricted areas as desired.

I claim:

1. A hand dispenser for dry fluent material comprising a fiat elongate member disposed upright on end for ground contact when in use, a receptacle carried on one side of said member in spaced relation with respect to the lower end thereof and having a downwardly directed discharge opening, a rotary measuring member supported in the receptacle above the opening, an elongate element carried vertically on the opposite side of said member for reciprocal movement, said elongate member having a vertical slot opposite the discharge end of said receptacle, and a finger carried at the lower end of said element and projecting through said slot for imparting a step turning movement to said rotary measuring member.

2. A hand dispenser for dry fluent material comprising a flat elongate member disposed upright on end for ground contact when in use, a receptacle carried on one side of said member in spaced relation with respect to the lower end thereof and having a downwardly directed constricted throat portion leading into a chamber having a bottom outlet opening, a paddle wheel measuring means rotatably supported in the chamber between the throat and outlet opening, said wheel having a plurality of blades providing measuring receptacles successively receiving material from the receptacle through said throat, a trigger finger, and means supported alongside said member and carrying said finger for vertical reciprocal movement for successively engaging the wheel paddles to turn the wheel.

:3. The invention according to claim 2, wherein a wall of said chamber at one side of the wheel is provided with a vertical slot opening through the discharge end of said receptacle in which said finger moves, said finger being pivotally supported by said means for vertical swinging in said slot from a substantially horizontal position, and counterweight means carried by said finger for returning the finger to said position.

4. A hand dispenser for dry fluent material comprising i an elongate member disposed upright on end for ground contact when in use, a receptacle carried on one side of i a dimension to bridge the throat as the wheel is given successive turning movements, an elongate vertical element mounted for vertical sliding movement longitudinally alongside of said member, a horizontal arm carried at the lower end of said element and extending perpendicular to the body, a normally horizontal trigger finger pivotally supported on said horizontal arm in position to move in and lengthwise of said slot, said finger having a length to engage beneath an end of a paddle to effect turning of the wheel upon upward movement of said ele ment, counterbalance means carried by the finger, means for moving said element upwardly on the body, and spring means resisting movement of said last named means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 381,083 Payne Apr. 10, 1888 1,702,300 Humphrey Feb. 19, 1929 1,945,849 Ferrandino Feb. 6, 1934 

